Navigation Menu
  • Colleges
    • Get Matched To Colleges
    • Explore All Colleges
    • Colleges By State
    • Online Colleges
    • Review a College
  • Scholarships
    • Explore College Scholarships
    • Scholarship Match
    • Unigo Scholarships
    • $10K Scholarship
    • Unigo Scholarship Winners
  • Easy Scholarships
  • Unigo Scholarships
  • Student Loans
  • Articles
    • All Articles
    • Expert Admissions Advice
    • Get Ready for College
    • How to Pay for College
    • In College Tips
  • Log In
  • My Account
    • My Scholarship Match
    • My Saved Scholarships
    • My College Match
    • My Account
    • Log out
  • Sign Up!
  • Home
  • pay for college
  • financial aid
  • holiday gifts on a college student budget

Holiday Gifts on a College Student Budget

Posted byUnigo Staff May 4, 2015

By CampusDiscovery

Homemade Holiday Gifts I love this time of year; the smell of pine, twinkling lights everywhere and the anticipation of Christmas morning. For me, it’s not so much  the gifts I get that make me excited; it’s giving gifts to others. Over time, I have learned the art of snagging bargains throughout the year to help lessen the financial pinch around the holidays, but it wasn’t so long ago that I was a broke student trying to complete my holiday shopping using just a few bucks and some clever cost-cutting ideas. If you still have gifts to purchase for friends and family, consider some of these creative suggestions.

Lovin’ from the Oven

Nothing says the holidays like some homemade goodies! Stop by a local Dollar Tree or other discount store to snag some $1 baskets and gift tins. Fill them with brownies, cookies, homemade chocolate covered pretzels or some decadent Oreo truffles! Attach a crafty card to the box and voila! A couple other food gift ideas include the following…

Cookie Jar: Fill a glass jar with all the ‘dry’ ingredients needed for a batch of cookies. Attach an index card with hand-written instructions and list any other additional ingredients needed (eggs, milk, vanilla). Or you could purchase a cute cookie jar and fill it with homemade cookies.

Hot Cocoa Time: Find an over-sized coffee cup or mug, and fill it with hot cocoa pouches, marshmallows and a decorative spoon.

Memory Lane

A great gift for parents or grandparents is a picture frame or photo album. Take photos from your time at college and place them in an inexpensive plain frame from any discount store. Using tacky glue, add beads, shells or other decorative pieces to create a one-of-a-kind gift. You can do something similar with a cheap photo album by covering it with fabric or ribbons. The possibilities are endless and you’ll be sharing a piece of your college experience with your family. These also make great gifts for friends, too!

Relax and Unwind

Another great find at discount stores are candles. Get several jar candles and jazz them up by adding beads and other items around the rims. Jewelry beads and wire make it easy to create a pretty look without the use of glue. If candles aren’t your thing, consider making a spa basket. Include the following items (all can be found at a local dollar store): lotion, bubble bath, eye mask and loofah products. Baskets always make great gifts and are easy to assemble. Put together a theme basket for friends or family, using any of the following suggestions:

Movie Night: popcorn, candy and a cheap DVD (Wal-Mart has them for under $5).

A Taste of Italy: Pasta, sauce, bread sticks and parmesan cheese, all arranged inside a colander.

Around the World: Include items from some of the countries (or states) the person wishes to visit. For example, pure maple syrup from Vermont, gourmet chocolate from Belgium, or crepe mix from France.

The possibilities are endless; it just takes a little imagination and a trip to your local discount store. You can also find great baskets and picture frames at local thrift stores and garage sales for next to nothing. The whole point to gift giving is to show someone you care, and what says that more than something you have created from scratch? Organize a craft party with friends and share ideas, as well as supplies. You’ll not only have a great time with your friends, but create some great low-cost gifts for those on your list!

Have some other inexpensive and creative gift ideas? Let us know!

Post navigation

Previous Post Previous post:
The Great Groupon Debate
Next Post Next post:
Holiday Travel on a Student Budget

Scholarships

  • Athletic Scholarships
  • College-Specific Scholarships
  • Company-Sponsored Scholarships
  • Grants for College
  • Merit-Based Scholarships
  • Minority Scholarships
  • Our Scholarships
  • Scholarship Contests & Sweepstakes
  • Scholarships By Major
  • Scholarships By State
  • Scholarships By Type
  • Scholarships For Graduate Students
  • Scholarships For High School Students
  • Scholarships For Undergraduate Students
  • Weird Scholarships
Unigo Scholarship Database

© 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Scholarship Providers
  • Add a Scholarship
  • Expedite My Scholarship
  • Promote My Scholarship
  • Start a Scholarship
Resources
  • Job Board
  • Student Deals
  • For Parents
  • For Counselors
TAKE ACTION
  • Review A College
  • College Match
  • Scholarship Match
  • Find a Loan
Social
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.

Privacy Policy   |    Terms of Use   |    FAQs   |    About Us   |    Disclosure: “What Determines Top/Best?”    |    Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CA and NV residents)

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receive compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

The sources for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum.

×

Sponsored Meaning Explained

EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Ad” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school. Your trust is our priority. We at EducationDynamics believe you should make decisions about your education with confidence. that’s why EducationDynamicsis also proud to offer free information on its websites, which has been used by millions of prospective students to explore their education goals and interests.

close